Mail-sack holder.



No. 756,610. PATENTED APR. 5, 1904. w. M. FALEN.

MAIL SACK HOLDER.

APPLICATION IILED IBB. 8. 1904.

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INVENTOR Wlz'anv JZ Z2426;

ATTORNEYS UNTTED STATES Patented April 5, 1904.

WVILLIAM MJFALEN, OF WVAKEFIELD, KANSAS.

MAIL-SACK HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,610, dated April 5, 1904.

Application filed February 6, 1904. Serial No. 192,331. (No model.) 4

To (0M w/wm it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM M. FALEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of WVakefield, in the county of Clay and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Sack Holder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to devices for holding mail-sacks upon standards at the side of a track in order that they may be caught by an arm projecting from the mail-car without the stopping of the car.

The objects of my invention are to secure the mail-sack in place until caught by the arm on the car, to provide for the rapid operation of the device, to release the mail-sack when caught, and to swing the projecting parts against the post supporting the same when not holding the sack, and other objects which will appear in the course of the subjoined desoription.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a preferred form of my invention with the mail-bag in position ready to be caught by the approaching car. Fig. 2 is a partial plan of the same with parts in section. Fig. 3 shows the holder removed from the support, the position assumed by these parts when the mail bag is released being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the support, showing a part of one of the arms for holding the holder proper in position. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a part of the holder, showing the details of the joint; and Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the end of one of the arms for the holder.

In the drawings, 1 represents a mail-car provided with an ordinary form of bar 2 and catching-arm 8. 4 represents a vertical post set in the road-bed or adjacent thereto and provided with brackets 5, to which are pivoted the arms 6 and 7. Upon the post and the arm 7 is attached a spring 8, the purpose of which will be referred to later. These arms hold between them the holder proper, which consists of the two parts 9 and 10. To the part 9 is attached one half 11 of a hinge, having a pintle 12, as

is common in the construction of hinges. To the part 10 is attached the other half 13 of the hinge, having curved knuckles 14, which are formed similarly to those of ordinary hinges for connection with the pintle 12, except that they do not entirely surround the pintle, but are out off, as shown in Fig. 5, in order that the two parts of the holder may be separated, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Attached to the two parts of the holder is a flexible connection 15, formed of leather or other strong material, which is adapted to hold the two parts in alineinent when not under strong pres sure. At the ends of the arms 6 and 7 are provided cross-grooves 16, which are designed to hold the ends of the parts 9 and 10 of the holder, as shown. (See Figs. 1 and 6.) To the parts 9 and 10 of the holder are connected straps or other holding devices 17 adapted to i be attached to the mail-sack 18.

The operation of the device will be obvious from the foregoing description. When the arm 3 comes into contact with the mail-sack, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sack will be forced toward the car and the joint formed by the hinge parts 12 and 14 will be broken, so that the parts will separate and the bag be taken into the car. The direction of the grooves 16 16 will cause this operation to takeplace without the sliding of the members 9 and 10 of the holder in the grooves 16. When the sack and holder are removed the arms 6 and 7 will swing in toward the vertical standard 4, the upper one by gravity and the lower one by means of the spring 8, so that no parts will be left projecting from the support 4.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a device for holding mail-sacks, a support, a pair of arms extending therefrom, a holder supported by said arms, and a joint in said holder.

2. In a device for holding mail-sacks, a support, a pair of arms extending therefrom,'a holder supported by said arms, and a joint in said holder; said joint comprising a hinge having two parts readily separable from each other.

3. In a device for holding mail-sacks, a support, a pair of arms thereon, a two-part holder supported by said arms, means for temporarily holding the two parts of said holder in alinement, and means for preventing entire separation of the parts of said holder.

A. In a device for holding mail-sacks, a support, a pair of arms extending therefrom, a holder supported by said arms, and a joint in said holder; said arms having crossed grooves adapted to hold the ends of said holder.

5. In a device for holding mail-sacks, a support, a pair of arms extending therefrom, a

holder supported by said arms, and a joint in said holder, said arms being pivoted to said support, and means for swinging one of said arms against said support when said holder is removed. 7

6. In a device for holding mail-sacks, a sup port, a pair of arms extending therefrom, a

holder supported by said arms, and a joint in said holder; said arms being pivoted to said support, and a spring connecting one of said arms to said support.

7 A holding element for mail-sacks and the like, comprising two bars, a part of a hinge upon each bar, said hinge parts coacting with each other and separable from each other, and a flexible connection from one of said bars to the other.

8. Aholding element for mail-sacks and the like, comprising two bars, a part of a hinge upon each bar, said hinge parts coacting with each other and separable from each other, and a flexible connection from one of said bars to the other; said hinge parts and said connection being fixed to the same side of said bars.

9. A holding element for mail-sacks and the like, comprising two bars adapted to abut together at their ends, a transverse rod upon one of said bars, and a bearing for said rod extending part way around said rod and attached to the other bar. v

10. A holding element for mail-sacks and the like, comprising two bars adapted to abut together at their ends, a transverse rod upon one of said bars, a bearing for said rod extending part way around said rod and attached to the other bar, and a flexible connection between the two bars.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM M. FALENQ Witnesses:

A. E. BREFFENMYER, THOMAS ARNOLD. 

